Flexible suspension for conductors.



L. STEINBERGER. FLEXIBLE SUSPENSION FOR (JONDUGTORS.

APPLIOATION FILED SBPT.Z8,1907.

Patented Nov. 24. 1908 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

r mm w Z 5 W p I N e A fl/ 0 0 J V V// c k x a7 3 w g M MM 174. tLtUIRICITY, CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS.

L. STEINBERGBR.

FLEXIBLE SUSPENSION FOR GONDUUTORS.

APPLICATION mum HBPT.23,19D7.

905,01 4. Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

WITNESSES Z If: IJ VVZZ'OH Gala 85 7/ 2376! 14, y

ATTORNEYS 174. ELECTRICITY, CUNUUUlUfio AND INSULATORS.

ll :1; ill

LOUIS STEINBERGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLEXIBLE SUSPENSION FOR CONDU'GTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nov. 24, 1908.

Application filed September 23, 1907. Serial No. 394,111.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS STEINBERGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Flexible Suspension for Conductors of which the following is a full, clear, an exact description.

My invention relates to means for suspending conductors, and more particularly to a flexible suspension for conductors such as are used for transmitting currents of unusually high potential.

Among the several objects of my invention are the following:

I. To promote flexibility between the conductor and the cross arm or other stationary member, whereby the latter and its connections are supported;

II. To give the upper or stationary member of the device such conformity as to enable dirt accumulating thereupon to be easily washed off by rain;

III. To connect various parts of the mechanism together by universal joints, for the purpose of reducing the effect of mechanical strain to a minimum and of allowing comparative freedom of movement of the conductor to be supported;

IV. To give certain portions of the device such conformity as will prevent the wetting of certain surfaces by the ordinary action of rain or snow;

V. To enable certain hoods used in the device to shed moisture so as to maintain dryness in other parts not directly connected with said hoods;

VI. To give the support for the conductor such a conformity as will enable the conductor to be readily removed or re laced;

VII. To give the device general y a comparatively high degree of mechanical strength and a high degree of di-electric streipgth as compared with the materials use VIII. To provide an insulator possessing the highest possible form of electric insulation combined with great strength and flexibility of structure;

IX. To provide an insulator built up of separate, detachable, flexibly connected units, thus affording means for conveyin currents of comparatively high voltage, an by merely attaching additional units, to provide means for conveying currents of the highest possible potential.

X. To provide an insulated crossarm or other support and an insulator flexibly connected thereto and disposed underneath the said insulated crossarm.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the entire suspension device, showing at the top a sleeve mounted upon a cross arm, and depending from this sleeve a number of superposed insulating members, the lowest one having a clevis and accompanying parts for supporting the conductor; Fig. 2 is a perspective showing one of the thimbles to be embedded in the separate insulating members, and also showing the bail integral with this thimble whereby it is su ported; Fig. 3 is a plan view showing tie supporting sleeve, the shackle encircling the middle thereof, and showing further the top of the uppermost hood; Fig. 4: is a plan view of the shackle removed from the sleeve of insulating material; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bolt forming a part of the uppermost hood; and Fig. 6 is a plan View of the lower bolt provided with a conical head integral therewith and used for forming a part of the lowermost insulating member.

A cross arm is shown at 7, and mounted upon it is a collar 8, of metal, secured in position by aid of a set screw 9. The outer end of the cross arm 7 is provided with a thread 10, upon which fits a threaded nut 11, and a metallic collar 12, is engaged directly by this nut. A sleeve 13, of insulating material is provided with ridges 14, intermediate of which are channels 15, bounded thereby. The sleeve 13 is provided at its ends with annular beads 16, above and below which are annular air spaces 17, and smaller beads are shown at 18. These beads are all concentric relatively to each other, the inner beads 18 encircling the nut 8 and collar 12 respectively and fittin the same, as indicated in Fig. 1. Dis ose toward the ends of the sleeve 13 are ri ges 19, which bound channels 20, these ridges and channels, like the ridges 14 and channels 15, entirely encircling the sleeve 13.

It will be noted that the beads 16 do not terial, a portion 28 of extend to the outermost limits of the sleeve, and that the beads 18 are shorter than the beads 16. By this arrangement the inner beads 18 and the beads 16 are maintained more or less dry, being sheltered by the outer surface of the sleeve, the inner beads 18 being further sheltered, to some extent, by the beads 16. Even in a severe storm there must necessarily be dry spaces intermediate some of these annular beads.

The sleeve 13 is provided with a cylindrical portion 21 of reduced diameter, and partially encircling this portion is a shackle 22 of metal, shown to better advantage in Fig. 4. This shackle 22 is almost cylindrical in its upper portion, and is provided with two straight portions 23 extending downwardly and connected together by a bolt 24. This bolt has a head 24 and is detachably mounted in position by aid of a nut 24 Resting upon the bolt 24 is a bail 25, sup porting a thimble 2G, integral with the bail. This thimble is of substantially frustoconical form, its diameter at its top being greater than its diameter at the bottom, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 2. The thimble 26 and portions of the bail 25 are embedded in a member 27, of insulating mathis member being that the thimble is A hood 29,

within the thimble 26, so firmly anchored in position.

also of insulating material, is integral with.

the body portion 27. This body portion is further provided, with petticoats 27, an ranged successively so as to maintain dryness of the body portion.

A nut 30 of frustoconical form, is threaded internally and fitted upon a bolt 31, the upper end 32 of which is threaded externally to fit the nut. The bolt 31 and nut 30 are embedded within the member 27 of insulating material. The bolt 31 is provided with a fork 33, through which extends a bolt 34. A bail 35 engages the bolt 34, and is provided at its lower end with a thimble 36, integral with it, this thimble and bail having substantially the form of the thimble 26 and bail 25, shown in Fig. 2.

The thimble 36 and portions of the bail 35 are embedded in a body portion 37, of insulating material. This body portion is provided with a hood 38, of smaller diameter than the hood 29. A bolt 40 is provided with a head 39 integral therewith, the hood and a portion of the bolt being embedded firmly within the body portion 37. The bolt 40 is also provided with an eye 41. This eye is engaged by a clevis 42, of substantially U-shape and provided with cylindrical rods 43 integral therewith. These rods are vided with threaded ends 44, upon which fit threaded nuts 46. The conductor is shown at 45, and is clamped between two plates 47, 48 of insulatin material, the inner surface of these plates aving proper conformity to profit upon opposite sides of the conductor. When the nuts 16 are tightened, the plates 47, 4-8 are clamped firmly upon the conductor and when the nuts in question are loosened, the pressure upon the conductor is relaxed. In order to remove the conductor entirely, the nuts 46 are taken off.

It will be noted from the shape of the sleeve 13 that practically all water falling upon the sleeve, in case of rain, will gather in the channels 15, 20 and will drift downwardly in distinct streams, these streams pouring upon the upper surface of the hood 29 and acquiring considerable velocity by the time they reach this hood. In so doing the water will be directed outwardly and away from the lower hood 38, so that the upper surface of thishood will ordinarily remain comparatively dry. The sleeve 13 may be locked to the support, or it may be merely held thereon so as to allow it freedom of movement. Again, even in the severest storm there will always be dry spaces in the ends of the sleeve 13. As the hood 29 serves as a shelter for the hood 38 and everything immediately connected with it, the under portion of the insulating member 37 will always be dry. The petticoats 37 facilitate this purpose. There is, therefore, no chance for any of the water to reach the conductor at such a point as to cause a short circuit, or to allow an arc to be established.

The shackle 22 isfree to move upon the reduced portion 21 of the sleeve 13, in a plane crossing the general direction of the cross arm 7. The bail 25 swings upon the bolt 24, however, in a direction coinciding with the general direction of the cross arm 7. The insulating member 37 being supported by the bail 35 swings upon the bolt 34 in a direction likewise coinciding with the general direction of the cross arm 7. The

clevis 42, however, is free to swing in two directions. It will be noted, therefore, that the connection between the sleeve 13, shackle 22, bolt 24 and hail 25 constitutes practically a universal joint. By the construction above described, I provide an insulator possessing the highest possible form of electric insulation, combined with great strength and flexibility of structure.

By the mechanism above described I secure great flexibility of movement between the sleeve 13 and the body portions 27 and 37, and also between the conductor 45 and the body portion 37.

The parts above described can be made either assembled ready to be mounted as a unit, or put together piecemeal as desired.

The insulating members 27 and 37 are firmly anchored by the thimbles 26, 36, the latter bein so shaped and so embedded as to greatly increase the mechanical strength of the insulating materials employed. he nut 30 and the conical portion 39 are dis- 174. ELECTRICITY, CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS.

posed concentrically of the thimbles 26, 36, to which these parts relate, so that the mechanical strain due to the weight of the conductor 45 is manifested in the shape of a socalled crushing strain within the thimbles 26, 36.

I do not limit myself to the exact form nor to the details of any or all of the parts above shown and described, nor do I limit myself to any particular combination of the parts nor to the use of any prescribed materials. I prefer, however, to employ the insulating material well known in the art as electrose.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that many changes in the construction, form and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A flexible suspension for conductors, comprisinga sleeve provided at its ends with annular collars extending in the general length of said sleeves, and annular air spaces intermediate said collars for the purpose of maintaining dryness in said air spaces means for supporting said sleeve, and mechanism connected with said sleeve for supporting a conductor. 1

2. A flexible sus ension for conductors, comprising a plura ity of insulating members flexibly connected together and provided with hoods, the hood of the uppermost of said members being of greater diameter than the hood of another of said members.

3.,A flexible suspension for conductors, comprising a clevis, means for supporting the same, a pair of plates of insulating material engaging said clevis, and fastening members mounted upon said clevis for the purpose of clamping said plates upon a conductor.

4. A flexible suspension for conductors, comprising a sleeve of insulating material, means for supportin between the same a shackle consisting o a single integral U- shaped metallic member extending around said sleeve, a pin extending through said shackle, a bail engaging said bolt, and a member of insulating material secured to said bail and supported thereby.

5. A flexible suspension for conductors, comprising a cross-arm, a collar mounted thereupon, a sleeve of insulating material MAFESMAN,

encircling a portion of said cross-arm and engaging said collar, a second collar mounted upon said cross-arm and engaging the end of said sleeve opposite said firstmentioned collar, and means for securing said second-mentioned collar relatively to said crossarm, and mechanism suspended from said sleeve of insulating material for supporting a conductor.

6. A flexible suspension for conductors, comprising a plurality of insulating hoods, a universal joint connecting said hoods together, said universal joint having two members movable relatively to each other, each of said members being connected with its appropriate hood, a sup orting member connected with one of said hoods and insulated from a member of said universal joint associated with said last-mentioned hood, and another sup orting member connected with the other 0" said hoods and insulated from the member of said universal joint associated with said last-mentioned hood, for the purpose of supporting a conductor.

7 A flexible suspension for conductors, comprising a U-shaped member, insulating members engaging said U-shaped member, and means for securing a conductor between said insulatin members.

8. A flexib e suspension for conductors, comprising a sleeve of insulating material, an insulating hood suspended flexibly below said sleeve and connected therewith, and means for supporting a conductor below said hood.

9. A flexible suspension for high tension conductors, comprising a sleeve of insulating material, a lurality of insulating hoods suspended flexi ly below said sleeve, one 0 said hoods being connected to said'sleeve, and means for supporting a conductor below another of said hoods.

10. In an insulator for high tension currents, the combination of a cross arm, a longitudinal insulator encircling said cross arm, and means connected with said insulator for supporting a conductor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS STEINBERGER.

Witnesses:

WALTON HARRISON, EVERARD B. MARSHALL. 

